Policy document number: BMIS0213.13 Version: 6 Last updated: 10 November 2025
1. Overview
1.1 At a glance
Sydney Water is committed to the public health of all our customers and communities and work to always deliver safe water for drinking.
1.2 Scope
This policy applies to all Sydney Water employees and contractors that operate under Sydney Water's license and to any person or organisation acting for or representing Sydney Water. This covers all aspects of the business, including planning, strategy, community engagement, learning and development, research, risk, assurance, operations and management.
1.3 Objective
Sydney Water is committed to supporting the public health of all of our customers by providing clean and safe drinking water.
2. Policy in detail
We are committed to providing safe and reliable drinking water to our customers.
To demonstrate this, we will:
- Ensure all water supplied to customers meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is safe to drink.
- Fluoridate drinking water to the NSW Code of Practice for Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies 2018
- Sustain water security for the greater Sydney region
- Maintain safe and reliable supply as specified in the Operating Licence and relevant customer contract.
- Maintain and implement a drinking water management system that is consistent with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and requirements by NSW Health and contained within the Public Health Act 2019 (NSW)
- Plan and operate under a preventive risk-based water quality management approach, given understanding of the system from catchment to customer for our Water Supply
- Ensure effective emergency and incident response management is in place and routinely tested
- Undertake accurate, timely, and meaningful reporting that supports confidence in our drinking water
- Promote awareness of drinking water quality management amongst employees, contractors, and the community and ensure that our staff and contractors are cognisant of their role in the supply of drinking water
- Engage in the development of industry regulation and guidelines, and undertake targeted research and innovation
- Manage and operate our drinking water assets effectively and efficiently to support the safe, reliable supply of drinking water to our customers
- Use drinking water management system outputs to inform long-term planning, given our role in integrated water cycle management and water conservation for the Greater Sydney region
- Pursue improvements to drinking water management considering our customers, our regulators, and our business drivers, and to meet the objectives of our Strategy and Plan.
- Plan and prepare for the impacts of climate change on water quality.